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Post by madeline on Jul 16, 2020 6:53:31 GMT -5
My granddad said that he had an encounter with something like that in the Adirondacks in Upstate New York when he was a kid in the 40's. He and another boy were fishing at a stream and a bird bigger than any they'd ever seen before swooshed down at them. He said the thing was so big that it cast a shadow from one side of the stream to the other and the stream was about 25 to 30 feet wide. They were so scared they ran into the woods and kept running until they got to his friend's house. The boy's older brother thought they were crazy and went with them back to the stream. They found their poles where they had dropped them, but the fish they'd caught were gone. Everybody told them it was just an osprey or eagle that looked bigger than it was against the sun and it was just after the fish they'd caught, but my granddad grew up in the area and had seen ospreys and eagles all his life and he said that what they saw was much bigger than an osprey or eagle. Did your grandmother say whether the bird they saw had feathers or bat-like wings? The one my granddad saw had feathers. The shadow may have reached from one side of the stream to the other, but that didn't mean the bird had a wingspan of 25 to 30 feet.
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Post by steve on Jul 16, 2020 17:45:24 GMT -5
The shadow may have reached from one side of the stream to the other, but that didn't mean the bird had a wingspan of 25 to 30 feet. He never said that the wingspan was 25 to 30 feet. He always thought it was probably about half that, maybe 12 to 15 feet. Whatever it was, it was much, much bigger than any known bird in that part of New York.
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Post by buteobelle on Nov 30, 2020 14:28:52 GMT -5
Hey guys- I'm new to this forum but I'm a licensed falconer- from the majority of the sighting descriptions, it sounds like those birds were messed up imprints. Especially if they were being aggressive towards people. If someone who is inexperienced and unlicensed tries raising a large raptor- golden eagles would be my guess in all of these cases (in New York more likely a large juvenile female bald eagle). Birds of prey that are imprinted and escape can exhibit aggressive behavior.
A golden eagle would not be able to carry a person at all, but could definitely do some damage and drag someone around. Golden eagle females are pretty big, powerful birds. I have a eurasian eagle owl and she has about a 6 foot wingspan. Another possibility is someone had an exotic eagle species and screwed up imprinting them, so released them. This has happened before and steller's sea eagles are pretty gigantic, and fit the description of the Lowe case rather well.
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Post by Sam on Nov 30, 2020 20:39:14 GMT -5
Hey guys- I'm new to this forum but I'm a licensed falconer- from the majority of the sighting descriptions, it sounds like those birds were messed up imprints. Especially if they were being aggressive towards people. If someone who is inexperienced and unlicensed tries raising a large raptor- golden eagles would be my guess in all of these cases (in New York more likely a large juvenile female bald eagle). Birds of prey that are imprinted and escape can exhibit aggressive behavior. A golden eagle would not be able to carry a person at all, but could definitely do some damage and drag someone around. Golden eagle females are pretty big, powerful birds. I have a eurasian eagle owl and she has about a 6 foot wingspan. Another possibility is someone had an exotic eagle species and screwed up imprinting them, so released them. This has happened before and steller's sea eagles are pretty gigantic, and fit the description of the Lowe case rather well. Welcome to the forum. That's interesting that you're a falconer. I know that fowl imprint, but I never thought about someone releasing huge birds into the wild. That could account for some of the attacks, but not for the gigantic bird sightings like the one in Arizona last year, or the Thunderbird someone reported seeing in Missouri.
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Post by buteobelle on Jan 7, 2021 15:05:47 GMT -5
It can also be attributed to nesting raptors, as well. I have gotten a rescue call for an "eagle" before and it turned out to be a pigeon lol. You'll find that laymen typically are bad at estimating or gouging the size of birds. If an eagle or hawk nest was nearby, it may have been a simple defense of their territory. I've been dive-bombed by my fair share of owls and hawks before. I attached a size comparison with my EEO
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Post by Sam on Jan 7, 2021 17:27:51 GMT -5
It can also be attributed to nesting raptors, as well. I have gotten a rescue call for an "eagle" before and it turned out to be a pigeon lol. You'll find that laymen typically are bad at estimating or gouging the size of birds. If an eagle or hawk nest was nearby, it may have been a simple defense of their territory. I've been dive-bombed by my fair share of owls and hawks before. I attached a size comparison with my EEO I'm sure that's true of city folks, but people who live in the country and have been around all kinds of local birds know the difference between a pigeon and an eagle, They also know that various birds sometimes dive at people when nesting. When I hear about people mistaking something they see, I always think of the "Hopkinsville Goblins," which happened in Kentucky. I live in Kentucky, but not in the same location, I'm in extreme eastern Kentucky near the borders of NC and WV. A lot of city reporters said that the Kelly family might have mistaken owls for the "goblins," but I knew better because they were country folks and they knew an owl when they saw one.
BTW, that's a beautiful bird.
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Post by JoannaL on May 27, 2021 12:24:28 GMT -5
Recent Thunderbird Sightings in PennsylvaniaAccording to Pennsylvania UFO and Anomalies Investigator Stan Gordon, there have been a series of thunderbird sightings southeast of Pittsburgh during the past 12 months.
The most recent incident occurred Sunday, May 23, when a woman stopped at a traffic light in downtown Greensburg happened to look up and see what she initially thought was a turkey vulture. However, as the bird came closer, she realized it was unlike any bird she had ever seen. “I was stunned at what I saw,” she recalled, estimating the creature’s wingspan was at least two car-lengths. She described the humongous avian as black and featherless with a leathery skin. Its beak was sharp and pointed and there was a pointed protuberance at the back of its elongated head. The tail was straight, similar to that of a lizard, but appeared to be curled at the end. She could not see the legs and assumed they were tucked underneath. She also observed the behemoth flapped its wings in what she considered an unusual manner, flapping vigorously as it made a turn. The witness, who claimed to be familiar with the wildlife of Pennsylvania, having worked closely with wild animals, said the winged creature was similar to drawings she had seen of a pterosaur, an animal that has been extinct since the Mesozoic Era that ended approximately 65 million years ago.
The previous day (May 22), a Greensburg man walking his dog noticed a huge bird directly overhead which he described as black or dark grey in color and he, too, considered the creature’s flight somewhat odd, indicating it never adjusted its pitch or flapped its wings, but simply glided in a westward direction. In his estimation, the wingspan, was between 15 and 20 feet.
Seven months earlier, in October 2020, a witness in Monroeville, a suburb of Pittsburgh, reported seeing a gigantic bird the individual described as grey in color and at least five times the size of a hawk.
In April of last year, a man driving along Pittsburgh Street in Greensburg became aware of a shadow passing over his vehicle and another driver pulled up next to him and enquired if he had seen “that big bird.”
There’s a long history of thunderbird sightings in Pennsylvania. In August 2010, four individuals having a barbecue at a home just off Route 119 in South Greensburg heard a swishing sound overhead and looked up to see what they described as a huge, dark bird with a massive wingspan.
In 2001, a man walking in the same area, reported hearing what sounded like “flags flapping in a thunderstorm” and observed a bird with a wingspan he estimated at 10-15 feet.
There have been thunderbird reports from other parts of the state, primarily in the north central region, encompassing Cameron, Clinton, Lycoming, McKean and Tioga counties.
If you have seen a large flying creature or any other unusual animal, you may report your sighting by emailing Stan Gordon at paufo@comcast.net or calling (724) 838-7768.Sources: Stan Gordon's UFO Anomalies Zone, May 25, 2021; Marcus Schneck, PennLive, January 5, 2019, and June 24, 2015.
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Post by steve on May 29, 2021 15:28:00 GMT -5
Does anyone know if Stan Gordon is more reliable than Tobias Wayland and Lon Strickler, the two authors who are always reporting Mothman sightings around Chicago?
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Post by pat on May 30, 2021 14:23:23 GMT -5
Does anyone know if Stan Gordon is more reliable than Tobias Wayland and Lon Strickler, the two authors who are always reporting Mothman sightings around Chicago? I haven't seen anything online about this man fabricating reports so that he can write about them like people say about Wayland and Strickler. It's still odd though that people who see these things know to contact an "investigator" instead of a local TV station or newspaper.
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Post by detectivefork on Aug 20, 2021 1:08:42 GMT -5
Stan has operated a 24/7 tipline since the 1960s and now has his website, as well. I think people reach out to him based on his history of fairly reporting strange encounters. He will also respect anonymity, which the media often will not offer. I've spoken personally with two of the witnesses who reported Thunderbird reports to Stan, and both told me he reported their account exactly as they conveyed it to him. In any case, Stan recently posted a new report of a Thunderbird "attack." Worth checking out.
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Post by JoannaL on Aug 20, 2021 15:33:34 GMT -5
Stan has operated a 24/7 tipline since the 1960s and now has his website, as well. I think people reach out to him based on his history of fairly reporting strange encounters. He will also respect anonymity, which the media often will not offer. I've spoken personally with two of the witnesses who reported Thunderbird reports to Stan, and both told me he reported their account exactly as they conveyed it to him. In any case, Stan recently posted a new report of a Thunderbird "attack." Worth checking out. Thank you for your comment on Stan Gordon. We used to post the Chicago “mothman” sightings, but after a few months, I began to seriously question the reports, particularly after I discovered both Lon Strickler and Tobias Wayland had written books on the subject. I understand that people who see strange things often go online to ascertain where they should report their sightings, but when literally every sighting is released by the same two individuals and not one person reports such a sighting anywhere else, it becomes suspicious. Additionally, while most witnesses choose to remain anonymous, this isn’t true of everyone, yet not a single individual who has allegedly reported their sightings of the Chicago mothman to Strickler or Wayland has released his/her name.
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Post by detectivefork on Aug 20, 2021 20:20:25 GMT -5
Stan has operated a 24/7 tipline since the 1960s and now has his website, as well. I think people reach out to him based on his history of fairly reporting strange encounters. He will also respect anonymity, which the media often will not offer. I've spoken personally with two of the witnesses who reported Thunderbird reports to Stan, and both told me he reported their account exactly as they conveyed it to him. In any case, Stan recently posted a new report of a Thunderbird "attack." Worth checking out. Thank you for your comment on Stan Gordon. We used to post the Chicago “mothman” sightings, but after a few months, I began to seriously question the reports, particularly after I discovered both Lon Strickler and Tobias Wayland had written books on the subject. I understand that people who see strange things often go online to ascertain where they should report their sightings, but when literally every sighting is released by the same two individuals and not one person reports such a sighting anywhere else, it becomes suspicious. Additionally, while most witnesses choose to remain anonymous, this isn’t true of everyone, yet not a single individual who has allegedly reported their sightings of the Chicago mothman to Strickler or Wayland has released his/her name.I can't blame you for being cautious. I do completely understand why many witnesses are motivated to report what they saw but don't want their name attached, as they could face ridicule at their workplace or in their communities. But yeah, anonymity offers reports less credence. As a former journalist, I was taught to offer anonymity only in rare circumstances when it was absolutely critical in order to report an important story. Stan has published a few books and many of his reports do not name the witnesses. All I can say is that, having spoken with him personally (for an interview I published), I believe he's an earnest investigator, and in two instances I've confirmed his accuracy. He told me that essentially he wouldn't be able to collect and publish many of these accounts if he didn't agree to leave out the names of the witnesses. He did create a documentary in which he interviewed witnesses of the Kecksburg UFO crash before it was too late to capture their testimony on camera, so there's that. I've collected Thunderbird sightings from various individuals and, even when they say I can publish their names, there's rarely any way to prove they're reporting honestly and accurately. It's all anecdotal, so the most you can do is put it down for the record and let the reader determine what they think. But including a name does lend a sighting more weight, absolutely.
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Post by Sam on Aug 21, 2021 0:14:31 GMT -5
I can't blame you for being cautious. I do completely understand why many witnesses are motivated to report what they saw but don't want their name attached, as they could face ridicule at their workplace or in their communities. But yeah, anonymity offers reports less credence. As a former journalist, I was taught to offer anonymity only in rare circumstances when it was absolutely critical in order to report an important story. Stan has published a few books and many of his reports do not name the witnesses. All I can say is that, having spoken with him personally (for an interview I published), I believe he's an earnest investigator, and in two instances I've confirmed his accuracy. He told me that essentially he wouldn't be able to collect and publish many of these accounts if he didn't agree to leave out the names of the witnesses. He did create a documentary in which he interviewed witnesses of the Kecksburg UFO crash before it was too late to capture their testimony on camera, so there's that. I've collected Thunderbird sightings from various individuals and, even when they say I can publish their names, there's rarely any way to prove they're reporting honestly and accurately. It's all anecdotal, so the most you can do is put it down for the record and let the reader determine what they think. But including a name does lend a sighting more weight, absolutely. Welcome, detectivefork. I live in eastern Kentucky and I've always been interested in cryptzoology, UFOs, ghosts and basically anything strange. I went to the Mothman festival in 2014 and the Kecksburg festival in 2017. You say that you're a former journalist and that you've collected Thunderbird sightings. It would be great if you could put some of then into the form of an article and post them here. We welcome guest writers whatliesbeyond.boards.net/thread/11133/guest-writers-welcome
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Post by JoannaL on Aug 21, 2021 22:42:35 GMT -5
I can't blame you for being cautious. I do completely understand why many witnesses are motivated to report what they saw but don't want their name attached, as they could face ridicule at their workplace or in their communities. But yeah, anonymity offers reports less credence. As a former journalist, I was taught to offer anonymity only in rare circumstances when it was absolutely critical in order to report an important story. Stan has published a few books and many of his reports do not name the witnesses. All I can say is that, having spoken with him personally (for an interview I published), I believe he's an earnest investigator, and in two instances I've confirmed his accuracy. He told me that essentially he wouldn't be able to collect and publish many of these accounts if he didn't agree to leave out the names of the witnesses. He did create a documentary in which he interviewed witnesses of the Kecksburg UFO crash before it was too late to capture their testimony on camera, so there's that. I've collected Thunderbird sightings from various individuals and, even when they say I can publish their names, there's rarely any way to prove they're reporting honestly and accurately. It's all anecdotal, so the most you can do is put it down for the record and let the reader determine what they think. But including a name does lend a sighting more weight, absolutely. I understand not every witness is truthful and there’s really nothing that can be done about this, but I’m not concerned that a writer or investigator records a sighting by a dishonest witness. What bothers me, and the reason we ceased posting the Chicago “mothman” sightings, is that I strongly suspect most, if not all, the sightings are being fabricated by Lon Strickler and Tobias Wayland in collusion with Sam Maranto and Manuel Navarette. To my knowledge, there’s been only a single independent sighting of a Mothman-type creature in Chicago and that’s one posted under the heading Reports of Mothman-Type Creatures Near Chicago, entitled “Another Flying Humanoid Sighting,” posted on Midlothian Topix by someone calling himself Alex. While I realize it could have been posted by Strickler, Wayland, or one of their associates, it’s the closest to an independent sighting of which I am aware.
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Post by snowfairy on Jan 25, 2024 12:45:58 GMT -5
I was stopped at a traffic signal a few days ago and looked around at all the other drivers and passengers looking at their cell phones. I couldn't help thinking that if a bird the size of a giraffe had been flying around, no one would have seen it.
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